Posted By Amanda On January 6, 2014 @ 6:37 AM In Cool Sites | No Comments

This handy tool will help you visualize just how much more you’re paying for that item you want to buy with a credit card. There was a time in my life when this tool would have been very handy to have. When I’d just charge things to my credit cards without really thinking about how much that would cost me over time.

Now you can do just that. You put in the price of what you want to charge, then enter in on the table below how much your APR is and pick from the preloaded options for how you’re paying your cards off and then click the What’s my Damage? button. It will then tell you how much that item will really cost you.

The example they provide is an item that has a cost of $75.00. The default interest rate on the page is 15% APR with a balance of $1200, where you’re paying the minimum payment and 1% of the balance. It makes that $75.00 item really a $168.75 item in the end.

This is a great way to get perspective on your spending, by allowing you to visualize how much things will really cost you.

So if saving money was one of your New Year’s resolutions this might just help you put the credit card back in your wallet.